Wireless through thick walls?

I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls. I
have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.

On 16-May-2006, "W. Wells" <> wrote:

> I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
> routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls. I
> have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
> answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
> computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.

I presume two different wireless routers, tried as access points, didn't
work, and that they were of different makes. In reviews of wireless
networking hardware some makes consistently rate only 2 or 3 out
of 10, the American mags in particular seem to slate some mfrs products.
Try a wireless USB adapter to connect to the access point, you can
move it around, and like mine fit it with a reflector. I sussed out a
good reflector system, that is cheap to implement.
Failing that, there are adapters that plug into domestic power outlets
and use your house wiring for network connectivity. They have AFAIK
RJ45 connectors. I haven't tried them. Not sure if their signal spreads
to adjacent properties on the same or different phases, so I guess the
paranoid would have to enable security.

Hi

Wireless Coverage depends heavily on the Specific Environment, there is No
One Magic Hardware that can solve all Distance issues.

Look at these pages, they describe most of the options that are within the
means of Entry Level users, and choose the one that fits you environment
best.

Extending the Distance of Entry Level Wireless Network -
http://www.ezlan.net/Distance.html

Wirelessly Bridging Home/SOHO Network - http://www.ezlan.net/bridging.html

Hi Gain Antenna for Entry Level Wireless -
http://www.ezlan.net/antennae.html

The most common solutions used in a Professional Environment involves the
use of multiple units (Access Point) connected with wires to the Network, or
setting a WDS Network. To ensure proper work of WDS the communicating
Wireless units should be of the same manufacturer,
http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Modes.html

Jack (MVP-Networking).



"W. Wells" <> wrote in message
news:m2jag.4069$.. .
>I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
>routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls.
>I have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
>answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
>computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.
>

"W. Wells" wrote:

> I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
> routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls. I
> have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
> answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
> computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.

You might want to investigate PowerLine networking or PhoneLine networking
(disclaimer -- I have no personal experience with any of the following):

Powerlines --
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=homeplug
(overall alliance of manufacturers): http://www.homeplug.com/en/index.asp
Linksys: http://tinyurl.com/zemlv
Netgear: http://tinyurl.com/chbp7

I think the older alternative, HomePNA (phone line networking), is no longer
being offered by the some of the usual manufacturers, but I could be wrong:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=homepna
(overall alliance of manufacturers): http://www.homepna.org/

"W. Wells" <> wrote in message
news:m2jag.4069$.. .
>I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
>routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls.
>I have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
>answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
>computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.
>
Here's a simple relector you can make and try.
http://www.freeantennas.com/projects...te2/index.html

Powerline also works great. Been using IOGear for some months now with no
problems.
http://tinyurl.com/o8rbw
Ted

"W. Wells" <> wrote in message
news:m2jag.4069$.. .
>I have an old house with thick walls. I have tried two different wireless
>routers and they both have a poor connection. (weak) There are four walls.
>I have tried fancy antenna etc and nothing works. Is hard wiring the only
>answer? Is there anything out there that will work in my situation? Two
>computer tech have told me that the walls were probably the problem.
>

Hard problem to answer. You can GO through thick walls but it depends what
is in there. The ancient (maybe 100 year old) insulation of horse hair
interferes with wi-fi and bluetooth access and the more recent
aluminium-alike stuff also interferes. the latter actually reflects the
signal and confuses the lot. I have had access in a large building quite OK
but access on the other side of the wall to the outside totally impossible.
Even putting the router on a window sill didn't change anything because of
the signal reflection. About all I could do in the end was drill through and
wire the free standing room's access in the end through the wired ports on
the wi-fi router.

The walls COULD be the problem but if you have that aluminium-alike
insulation in the CEILING and none in the walls, it could also be that as
the reflection kills things effectively. In fact because it still works
wi-fi internally but dampens externally quite well, it would make a good
answer to stop people sniffing your network!

You probably could put a repeater each side of the wall and push the signal
through that way but I wouldn't put money on how good the signal would be.